ISLAMABAD: Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG), a surgical procedure commonly known as ‘heart bypass surgery, is not being performed at most of the public and private health facilities in the country due to unavailability of some essential equipment including oxygenators and other consumables, The News has learnt.
Around 90 percent CABG or heart bypass surgeries have been postponed by the leading public and private health facilities throughout the country during last couple of weeks due to unavailability of oxygenators, which are not being imported due to massive rupee devaluation and issue of LCs, cardiac surgeons and equipment suppliers told The News.
“Oxygenator is an essential component of CABG or heart bypass surgery, which is used to keep a person alive during the surgical procedure as heart becomes functionless during the surgery. CABG cannot be performed without good quality oxygenators”, one of the leading suppliers of medical equipment in Pakistan.
Officials at National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (NICVD), Karachi as well as several other public and private health facilities in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad confirmed to The News that they had reduced the number of heart bypass surgeries as medical equipment suppliers were not providing oxygenators and other consumables, citing increase in prices as well as refusal by the banks to open Letters of Credit (LCs) for the import of medical equipment.
Talking to The News, caretaker Punjab health minister Prof. Javed Javed Akram acknowledged that cardiac health facilities were not getting oxygenators due to which cardiac bypass surgeries were not being performed at most of the health facilities but added that he had a meeting with Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) to ensure uninterrupted supply of medical equipment to the hospitals in Punjab. “On my intervention, DRAP has assured that over 1000 oxygenators which were stuck at ports due to financial issues would be released tomorrow (Wednesday) and we would start distributing them at our cardiac health facilities throughout Punjab. CABG procedures would be resumed within a couple of days at least in Punjab”, Prof. Javed Akram maintained.
According to him, he had also ensured that stents of all sizes and of top quality are available in the province as they have started free of charge angioplasty in emergency, which is called Primary PCI, at all 19 cardiac facilities in the province. “Earlier, Primary PCI used to be done till 4pm in the evening but now this facility is available round the clock, free of charge at all 19 cardiac health facilities in the province”, he added.
Same was the situation in Sindh as well as other provinces where health facilities were facing extreme shortage of oxygenators as suppliers were unable to meet the demand, compelling cardiac health facilities to postpone most of the heart bypass surgeries. Interviews with leading cardiac surgeons revealed that NICVD has limited the number of CABG procedures due to unavailability of oxygenators.
On the other hand, a spokesman for NICVD claimed that all the surgical procedures were being performed without any interruption as suppliers were providing all the required equipment and medicines to the institute. Owner of the leading private hospital in Karachi said they had purchased around 35 oxygenators at double price because their supplier had refused to provide it on the price on which they were getting the equipment a few months back.
“We have purchased 35 oxygenators from the black market at double price as they are not available in the market. Without this equipment, heart bypass surgeries cannot be performed. We cannot see our patients dying so we have paid whatever the money was demanded to get the essential equipment”, the hospital owner said.
According to the medical supplier, who requested anonymity due to regulatory issues, massive rupee devaluation against dollar, economic crisis and banks refusal to open the letters of credit, oxygenators’ import had reduced 90 percent so the demanded went up while prices also doubled and tripled.
DRAP officials when approached said they were in contact with medical equipment suppliers as well as authorities concerned to ensure availability of oxygenators, saying all the medical equipment stuck at the ports would be released within a day or two to facilitate the patients.